Monday, September 27, 2010

Why was Chiron half horse rather than half goat, ram, llama or turtle?

Here’s one possible answer from a rich site on symbolism, The Horse Archetype in Poetry and Anthroposophy. In the poem, "Death of Myth-Making" Sylvia Plath associates the horse with human thinking. The horse is a swift airy vehicle, wafting thoughts instantaneously to the mind of the rider.

The Horse Archetype site further notes:

Reason and common sense allow us short-term security but force us to think in a chain of endless causes and effects. The capacity to think creatively with inspired awareness is lost and the direct cognition of the world of ideas, the source of all myth, is replaced by sense-bound thinking. The subject-object dichotomy separates us from the rest of the cosmos.

This paragraph speaks to one of the most prominent features of the Chiron archetype—a being that is both instinctual and intellectual. He is both-brained, able to think creatively and objectively. Chiron is a balanced being.

Psychiatrist Carl Jung associated the horse archetype with never giving up and called him the “enduring” horse:

[Horses] mirror, and help us recover, the beauty, power, and nobility of our own spirit, that elusive Presence so easily lost in the frenzy and disconnection of civilized life. Now that horses are no longer obliged to work in our fields and carry us to war, they’re free to do something arguably more important: work on us. – Way of the Horse: Equine Archetypes for Self Discovery – A Book and 40 Cards by Linda Kohanov illustrated by Kim McElvoy

Creative Mind + Never Give Up = Soldiers Making Lemonade

Considering just these two aspects of the horse—his airy connection to creative thinking and his never-give-up spirit, the horse lends to mythical Chiron the “juice” to soldier on despite his lingering pain as a wounded mentor, teacher and hero-maker. The Chironic spirit is best captured in the expression, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

Hope starts in the mind. My theme when celebrating this Autumn Equinox with my Solsisters was “Harvest of Hope.” With the Cardinal T-Square squeezing the last drop of change out of us like lemons in the juicer, we have to hold onto the idea that hope is at the end of all this disorientation and disconnection. Hope doesn’t come from the rational mind.

Hope is independent of the apparatus of logic. ~ Norman Cousins

Or to share yet another of my Harvest of Hope quotes:

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. ~ Dale Carnegie

Chiron was wounded, shot accidentally by Hercules with an arrow dipped the poison of the many-headed Hydra. Since he was the son of Chronos, an immortal, he could not die. From where he stood with pain that never ended from the moment of the injury, it’s hard to fathom how Chiron had the optimism to face each new day. Chiron’s story is a testimony to the true grit of his horse half archetype. He lived on, soldiered on and taught on. Chiron never gave up on life and helping others, even without a suggestion of a cure or way out.

Ultimately, Chiron was willing to suffer for another, namely Prometheus. Because he stole fire from Zeus, Prometheus was doomed to nightly torture by an eagle that pecked out his liver. Every morning his liver grew back to ensure a continuous cycle of suffering. There they were; Chiron and Prometheus—both suffering without any hint of let-up.

Yet through creative thinking Chiron finally found his “out.” He offered to take the place of Prometheus. No skin off Chiron’s nose; he was suffering himself anyway. He figured why have two people suffer when one would do?

The gods were so impressed by this act of altruism, they released Chiron from the bonds of his immortality, allowed him to die and raised him to the heavens in the constellation Centaurus. (Some versions of the myth say it was the constellation Sagittarius.) When we’re willing to do for others, we find the most satisfactory resolution to our own life issues and often face the death of who we used to be—a chronically suffering soul without solutions.

The Horse-Goddess, Epona was a protector of horses, donkeys, and mules. In Celtic tradition she governs the life cycle of birth, death, the afterlife, and rebirth; thus, Horse medicine is often associated with these aspects. ~ The History, Legend and Symbolism of the Horse

Body and Spirit

The horse half of Chiron has often been associated with our instinctual nature; his human half with our spirit, the “reasoning” man separate from other beasts, closer in likeness to a god/God.

Chiron’s duality speaks to me of grounded spirituality. We need to gallop the earth with our heads still in tune to the stars, to the energy and cycles of Spirit and the rhythms of the living Gaia. It’s our job to bring heaven to earth and earth to heaven, why we were given a big brain to work with and a spirit as free as a wild stallion.

Wild at Heart

Artist LBerry has this to say about the art illustrating this post:

As a child, I was told that like a wild horse, my spirit needed to be broken. Although I was wounded by those attempts, my spirit remained strong, and eventually I came to realize that it was the one part of me that could never be owned by another. A wild horse galloping in an endless field seems like an appropriate metaphor for freedom of mind and heart, along with a boundless spirit; hence the title, "Wild At Heart". This also goes along with my belief that God never tries to break our will. Instead he asks only that we willingly give ourselves over to the greater divine will.

Round-Up

Now that you’ve heard my thoughts on the subject, I’d love to hear your ideas on why Chiron had to be a centaur—half horse.

I suspect there’s a hint in those classic Westerns with a happy ending. The hero rides off into the sunset on a horse.

Thanks to Janet Boyer who’s eclectic site—janetboyer.com--introduced me to the work of Linda Kohanov, author, speaker, riding instructor and horse trainer who has become an internationally- recognized innovator in the field of Equine Experiential Learning and a respected writer on the subject of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy. Linda’s site, Epona Equestrian Services, explores the potential of human/horse relationships.

Overnight, The Chiron Quiz: How Strong Is Your Chiron became the most visited post on my blog ever. I already knew quizzes were popular, but reader response was overwhelming! It’s clear you’re eager to learn more about Chiron—and what Chiron means to you.

My “Chi-Q” Quiz was modeled after Donna Cunningham’s tests on the strength of various planets. (Thank you, again, Donna, for encouraging me to get quizzical.) I was eager to place Chiron in the mix so we could each assess Chiron’s personal prominence, especially in relation to the outer planets: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Since Chiron orbits between Saturn and Uranus, creating a bridge to the far outers, it offers us a conduit for handling our own outerplanetary energies that constantly demand deep change from us.

The Chi-Q Quiz parallels the idea behind an IQ test where the Chiron’s signature in your chart (sign, house, aspects) is an indicator of your potential and path for expressing Chiron’s multiple meanings. However, it occurred to me that there’s another strong parallel—that’s to Emotional Intelligence or EI as put forth in the popular book of the same name by author Daniel Golman and many others. Emotional intelligence is a popular area of research today in the field of psychology.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is "the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions."

Continuing the parallels, Chi-Q assesses your Chironic potential. Chi-Res—the test you have the opportunity to take next in this post—is primarily about your emotional response to, and identification with, those things that are associated with Chiron. Once you know your Chironic characteristics, you can consider your response to this information and how it might guide your thinking and actions.

We all know people who are extremely intelligent yet have no “horse sense.” We are often reminded that as humans, we use only a fraction of our mental resources. I have known people with so-called developmental disabilities, supposedly “slow,” who understand the important things in life better than some folks who qualify for Mensa. You could have a Chi-Q score of only 25, but if you strongly identify with the principles associated with Chiron, you may be more Chironic than a person with a Chi-Q of 65 who hasn’t connected yet to Chiron in a major way. Why? Because you are using, or at minimum, feeling the presence of the archetype of Chiron. You have used Chiron’s skeleton key glyph to open the door to his teachings in your life. The Chi-Q speaks to Chironic potential; the Chi-Res measures how you’re connecting with the Chiron archetype in your inner and outer life.

The real purpose of both these tests is to help you get to know your Chiron better and what Chiron means to you. The Chi-Res test is more subjective, yet it may actually be a better indicator of how Chiron works for you.

Basis of the Chi-Res Quiz: The Trifold Method for Discovering Planetary Meanings

The Chi-Res Quiz s drawn directly from “the continuing discovery of Chiron.” When new planets are discovered, we look to three things as astrologers to decipher their meaning:

The myth after which they are named, which is often inspired by synchronicity

Astronomical information

Cultural changes in the years surrounding discovery

The Chi-Res Quiz has three sections. Each explores your resonance to these areas for mining meaning. You’ll discover that the biggest section is under the myth. This is where we get the richest metaphors, and it is also the oldest source. The Chiron legend has been told for millennia, whereas our astronomical and cultural information only came into being with Chiron’s discovery in 1977. Those sections are still “under construction.”

The Chi-Res Quiz

Mythological Factors

1. __ You were literally abandoned by one or more parents at birth, examples: given up for adoption, sent to foster care, or experienced the death of a parent as a child. (10 points)

2. __ You have felt rejected emotionally (rather than actually) by a parent (5, 10 if both parents)

3. __ You were conceived in an adulterous relationship, outside marriage, or in a relationship not “sanctioned” by society or your local culture. (10 points)

4. __ You were born with a birth defect or have a physical handicap. (10) points

5. __ (If you have a physical handicap, it involves your leg or legs, especially the thigh or knee. (10 extra points)

6. __ You were raised by a couple other than your biological parents. (5 points)

7. __This couple in #6 seemed very balanced, yin and yang, and often complemented each other. (5 points)

8. __ You spent a lot of time alone as a child. (5 points)

9. __ It has always been important to you to have an isolated nook or “cave” to retreat into when you feel overwhelmed by the world. (5 points)

10. __ You felt outcast and rejected by others, particularly peers, as a child. (10 points)

11. __ You have a lingering injury or illness of some kind—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—one with ongoing residual effects. (10 points)

14. __ You continue to work or contribute in spite of pain or discomfort. (5 points)

15. __ You were wounded at or by a wedding (someone else married the one you loved, your mother married a man you despise, your parents never married—wide possibilities, including a literal accident or injury at nuptials). (10 points)

16. __ You are a teacher or mentor. (10 points)

17. __ You work with young adults (teens through twenties) in some other way, such as counselor or club leader. (10 points)

18. __ You are a professional astrologer. (10 points)

19. __ You are a surgeon. (10 points)

20. __ You are an herbalist or work with similar healing arts that involve the gifts of the earth such as flower essences or healing teas. (10 points)

21. __ You practice complementary medicine, both modern allopathic and some of the older tried-and-true medicines such as acupuncture, Ayurveda, etc. (5 points)

22. __ You practice holistic medicine as your sole focus. (5 points)

23. __ Your teaching style is to “bring out the best” in each student or person you mentor. (5 points)

24. - 29 You practice any of the following (5 points each):~~~
24. __ Archery

25. __ Martial arts (t’ai chi, qi gong, etc.)

26. __ Playing a stringed instrument (examples: guitar, banjo, piano)

27. __ Astrology (non-professional)

28. __ Matching people’s skills to a job or need

29. __ Turning out heroes or stars in whatever form ~~~
30. __ You are altruistic and very giving of your time and talents. (10 points)

31. __ Others have always come to you informally for advice or counsel. (10 points)

32. __ You have overcome a problem or hurt in your life and made a career of helping others “in the same boat,” such as an alcoholic who facilitates at AA meetings, or a formerly speech impaired person who is active in mentoring others in Toastmasters, or a person with a disease (Michael J. Fox) who becomes a spokesperson or advocate to find a cure. (10 points)

33.__ You “look different” in some way which has been wounding to you. (10 points)

34. __ You feel neither here nor there, like you don’t fit in, yet you can “work the perimeter” of very different worlds. (10 points)

35.__ You a weaver, someone who can take diverse ideas, artwork, talents—whatever—and stitch them into a tapestry of wholeness. (10 points)

36. __ You have strong intuitional skills. (5 points)

37. __ You are not right or left-brain dominant; you’re both brained, with a balance of logic and intuition. You’re possibly even ambidextrous. (10 points)

38. __ You have a great sense of humor and appreciate humor’s healing potential. (5 points)

39. __When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. You know how to find the silver lining, lessons, or good in situations. (10 points)

40.__ Finding your place in the community where you can give your talents and experience is important to you. (10 points)

Astronomical Factors

41. __ You have progressive ideas, yet get along with conservative people and are able to open their minds to new ways of looking at things without alienating them. Similarly, you can get the most outspoken liberal people to understand the perspective of a convervative, even if just a little. (5 points)

42. __Humor is often your bridge in this process described in #41. (5 points)

43. __ You consider yourself a maverick or a rogue. (5 points)

44. __ You are a composite being in some way, multi-racial, multi-ethnic, or bionic (mechanical body part replacements such as an artificial limb, knee). (10 points)

45__ It’s difficult to categorize you or “put you in a box.” You’re one of a kind. (5 points)

46. __ You often find yourself in the role of go-between or acting as a bridge between differing others or concepts. (5 points)

47. __ You are relatively small in size but often considered powerful by others. (5 points)

50. __ Something personally important happened to you in the year 1977. (5 points)

Cultural Factors

51. __ You resonate to the ideal of integration, whether cultural, racial or the integration of ideas. (5 points)

52. __ You strongly support feminism and gender equality. (5 points)

53. __ You often like extremely “opposite” people or ideas. Example: You might have close friends who are atheists and others who are religiously conservative. (5 points)

54. __ You resonated to the ‘70s—sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll—at least two out of three. If you didn’t do drugs, you still sought physical or emotional highs. (5 points)

55. __ You feel the movie Star Wars changed the world. (“May the Force be with you.”) (5 points)

56. __ You believe the music of the ‘70s (Elvis, Beatles, Motown, etc.) changed the world. (5 points)

Scoring

Highest possible score is 400.

0 – 62: Low resonance to Chiron at this time

62 – 320: Moderate resonance to Chiron *

321 – 400: High resonance to Chiron

* This wide moderate range assumes scores will fall in a normal bell curve. With such a high point range in the middle, it makes sense to subcategorize. Let's call 62-100 low moderate, up to 101-200 mid-moderate, and up to 201-320 high moderate.

What’s Next?

Here are some suggestions for putting this information to work for you.

1. Compare Your Chi-Q and Chi-Res quiz results. Are they similar in quality—both moderate, both high—or are they dissimilar (one low, one high). Contemplate what that means for you. Do you have more Chironic potential than you’re expressing? Conversely, are you maximizing the Chironic potential these tests light up?

2. If you have a high Chi-Res score, how does knowing this make a difference for you? How do you feel about it, and does it suggest any redirection in vocation or approach to personal growth? (For example, my Chi-Q is on the higher side at 43, but it pales compared to some of our test takers on the previous quiz who got way upwards of that score. My Chi-Res, however, is 330—quite high. It explains why I've been a Chironoholic since 1988 and suggests that I found the right astrological specialty.)

3. Participate in research. If you’d like to be part of the research for my book in progress, please contact me with “Chiron research” in the header. This will involve sharing your birth data, Chi-Q and Chi-Res scores, and personal information that exemplifies how Chiron works in your life. Your identity will be kept confidential.

Remember, your Chi-Q is fixed at birth with your Chiron configuration in your natal chart. It is a map of how Chiron can potentially work for you. However, your Chi-Res or Chiron Resonance is fluid. You could take this quiz at various times in your life and probably come out with a considerably different score. Some things will stay the same, like whether or not you have a physical disability, but others will vary as you accumulate Chironic experiences and identification with Chiron's wholemaking role. The Chi-Res quiz shows how you relate to Chironic principles at this time.

I look forward to your comments and hearing how the two quizzes compare for making Chiron more personal and accessible. Your feedback will help me refine the quizzes and to make them more helpful for others in the future.

Seek a sanctuary,
Respect it, as it is holy,
Walk into it with a bare mind, bare feet and plain clothing,
Nurture your body, mind and spirit through a healing ritual,
Leave it with a pure heart until you find your way to it again.

~ Master Jin Kwon

Leo: Adults are obsolete children.

~ Denis Diderot

Virgo: From a drop of water a logician could predict an Atlantic or a Niagara.

~ Arthur Conan Doyle

I don't believe in astrology; I'm a Sagittarius and we're skeptical.

~Arthur C. Clarke

Libra: Strike an average between what a woman thinks of her husband a month before she marries him and what she thinks of him a year afterward, and you will have the truth about him.

~ Henry Louis Mencken

Scorpio: Secrecy is the element of all goodness; even virtue, even beauty is mysterious.

~ Thomas Carlyle

Sagittarius: It's an indulgence to sit in a room and discuss your beliefs as if they were a juicy piece of gossip.

Want More Quotes? Plug quotes + signs in the search box in the sidebar to pull up all the previous Quotes for the Signs posts.

CELEBRATE!

Please join The Radical Virgo in celebrating its 100th post! Born on Spring Equinox 2009, this blog grew quickly into a Top 20 regular among the 100 sites followed by PostRank, reaching as high as #4 on several occasions. Thank you for your support—past, present and future. It’s your enthusiastic response to what I write here that encourages me to keep doing what I do. Meanwhile, have The Radical “Virgin” of dessert—a virtual cupcake. No calories! No ill health effects, only fun.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Virgo sextiles Cancer, the Moon’s “natural” sign—a harmonizing relationship. There’s an easy way to capture the Moon and all its gifts—if you own a Virgo Moon yourself or if you’re just enjoying a walk under the Virgo New Moon with the rest of us this month. How do you capture the Moon? By hand.

The sign of Virgo is often clairkinetic. People with key planets in Virgo often pick up psychic information with their hands and fingers. That’s why you’d always see Adrian Monk, a consummate Virgo archetype, do that “funny thing” with his hands at a crime scene. Virgos are drawn to occupations that involve the use of their hands—writing, editing, cleaning, nursing, accounting—because their hands hold their emotional intelligence.

Take anything I say about the sign of Virgo in general times ten when it comes to Virgo Moon. My dear friend and wise astrologer, Gregg Castellucci, once told me in an offhand remark, while I was reporting something I was sensing (and probably moaning about):

Virgos can feel their blood circulating.

That’s about it. When I stopped laughing, I realized the profundity of what Gregg was saying. The Virgo sensitivity is so heightened; that’s why we seem like a bunch hypochondriacs. We’re not imagining we’re sick; we’re just hypersensitive. We feel things more acutely. Imagine that on your Moon. Imagine the pressure to get it right and to feel all right.

Clairkinetic or Sensing Clearly is the power to “sense” other dimensions; is essentially what we mean when we say “I had a hunch” or “It's a gut feel." It's when you're overcome with a physical sensation and you can't explain it, all you can say is "I just know."

There are many sensitive Moon signs, the water Moons (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) foremost. I put Virgo Moon right up there with them. Virgo Moons feel their emotions in their body. This can be both a blessing and a curse. One key word for a sextile—back to Virgo’s sextile to the Moon’s natural placement in Cancer—is provides structure for. Virgo Moon is like Cancer Moon with a container “built in.” The container is the body itself. Of course, everyone’s emotions reside in their body. Virgo is just hyper aware of it, making the container even sensitive to itself. Feelings and body are one.

Sometimes that makes it not so easy to live there. The sensation of carrying your emotions pulsing in your body and to function well at the same time means keeping your physical vehicle clean, organized, and efficient. This is how Virgo Moon lives. When Virgo Moon isn’t comfortable in his or her own skin, that’s when the nervous twitching starts, along with digestive problems—and dare I mention, neuroses? Recently I’ve interacted often with a Virgo Moon friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. I am exhausted. If she wears me out, I can’t imagine what it must be to live in the center of that chronic worry and fretting 24/7. The evolution of that energy is to trust utterly your feelings. Then there’s nothing to worry about, because your body is giving you biofeedback for every decision you need to make and direction you need to travel.

In a little bit, we’ll talk more about the upside of the Virgo Moon, in the usual Radical Virgo way. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at the Virgo Moon that’s the opening act to our next lunar month’s manifestations.

This Virgo New Moon

Continuing my precedent of observing the moment of the New Moon from San Francisco, capital of the Left Coast: I note that this Sun/Moon conjunction and new starting point for the lunar month spells a certain relief. There are no aspects to the Virgo Sun and Moon by the Cardinal Grand Cross. Whew! A reprieve? A breather?

Click chart to enlarge

Let’s not get too excited. The New Moon is widely conjunct to Mercury in retrograde. While I’m not sure that colors it in dark crayon from 9°, let’s not forget that Mercury Rx is still in Virgin territory. Mercury Retrograde invites us to review, revise, reconsider—and, in general, to go inside ourselves to contemplate what’s happening from an inner perspective. As you can only imagine, people with Virgo Moons already spend enough time there and may balk. They should still do it along with the rest of us. The non-VMs can tune up their sensations and get a glimpse of how the other twelfth lives. Not only that, you can experience the Virgo Moon gift, an internal barometer that let’s you know how to proceed or not on most anything you’re involved in or considering. It reminds me of the sign a very metaphysical friend had on her office door, “Inquire Within.” Yes. This is a month for it, more than usual. If Virgo is a communicative Earth sign, time to get into your personal chunk of earth, your body, and have a confab with yourself. You’re wiser than you know!

The only major aspect to the New Moon is a trine to the North Node, a trine that’s even closer to Mercury Rx. My take on this? As long as you work on the quieter rewrite, redo, reconsider things Mercury Retrograde calls for, you’re likely to harvest a true sense of accomplishment by the next New Moon in Libra. Ignore the swift messenger’s call for activities that, literally, aren’t so swift this month because of the opening Mercury Retrograde? It’ll be just as easy to reap accomplishment disaster—the reminder that “disaster” means against the stars. I honor Mercury during every retrograde cycle with a photo of the winged messenger on my altar. Paying homage does help avoid the disaster, but you’ve got to be willing to shift into reverse with him, too.

While the New Moon isn’t linked directly to the Cardinal T-Square this lunar month, there’s still a biggie going on in one corner of it. There’s an exact Jupiter/Uranus conjunction on Sept. 19 that will be “in orb of feeling” for most of the month. I asked my colleague Anne Whitaker, author of Jupiter Meets Uranus and her blog of the same name, to give me a standout example of what can happen during this planetary meet-up, since she has done extensive research on the subject. She shared this comment left on her blog by “Sherry” on 22-Jun-10 :

The last Jupiter/Uranus conjunction (in February 1997 at 6 Aquarius ~Anne.W.) was in my 5th house. I was 43. Had already raised 4 children, youngest was 17. Both of my daughters experienced sudden unexpected pregnancies within 8 weeks of each other and of course I thought, “This is the transit”…3 months later I found myself pregnant against all odds. So, I have a daughter the same age as 2 of my grandchildren.

In sharing this example, Anne said, Talk about unexpected! She was definitely my Uranian “twist.” Anything is possible!

Things Are Looking Up—Grabbing the Best of the Virgo Moon

Some positive Virgo traits to try on, if you’re not exactly a Virgin in the astrological sense—or if you are, qualities to celebrate:

• How will I cleanse body, mind, thoughts, work space—whatever area of my life that needs it?

• How will I use my hands?

• How will I synthesize information?

• How will I find what is healthy and whole in all situations?

• Am I willing to discard all the rest? If yes, how?

• How will I practice Annunciation—the moment when Mary, the ultimate Radical Virgo, accepted the mysterious role of birthing the Christ? She said a no-holds-barred yes, totally trusting Spirit to work out the details of her unusual, and to the less faithful, unbelievable assignment. In this vein, how will I bring light into the world and trust how the Ultimate Creativity works through me this month?

Suggested Exercises

• Play the piano, guitar, or any instrument with your hands and feel the music in your body. This is the best of the Virgo/Pisces continuum, the abandon of the music playing through you and the precision of the Virgo mind to master the mechanics of the notes and finger placements.

• Experiment with clairkinesis. When you’re trying to “pick up information,” hold your hands open slightly in front of yourself at the level of your heart chakra. Move your fingers a little. (Once a psychic reading me said, “Your fingers are like 10 little antennae.” Exactly.) Pick up the vibes. When trying to read another person or situation, do this about a foot from the individual, aiming your finger antennae their way. In a situation you’re trying to decipher, like Monk’s crime scenes or finding your car keys in the disaster area known as your teenager’s room, close your eyes and wave your hands over various parts the room sequentially. Notice your sensations and go to the location where the energy and temperature on your hands changes. Did you find your keys? (Are you ever lending them to him or her again?)

• Get in better touch with your body-mind connection. One way to do this is to read the wonderful book by Dr. Elson Haas, Staying Healthy with the Seasons. Find the optimal fuel for yourself at this time of year. Slowly switch your diet and carefully observe and journal, if possible, your bodily reaction to this “purification.” How does it impact your bodily sensations?

• If you’re already a Virgo Moon, the next suggestion will be easy. If not, you’re going to impersonate a VM (that’s Virgo Moon, not Virgin Mary). Sit quietly for at least 10 minutes. Feel your blood pulse. Tune into your heartbeat. Imagine your various bodily functions, including slow breathing and air exchange. What do you feel? How does this intensified awareness of your body feel? Journal the results.

One last thought. At the Full Harvest Moon on September 23, when this lunar cycle has peaked try this:

Go outside, form your fingers in two slightly separated semi-circles, and raise them so you can see the Moon through your fingers, framing it. Now you’ve got the visual to go along with this month’s message about touching the Moon.

Radical Reminders: Last Days of Special Summer Savings! Personal consultations are $25 off through Labor Day, Sept. 6. Purchase by this date to receive the discount, even if we actually do the reading later.

Don’t miss another New Moongram! My monthly newsletter, the New Moongram, complements this Moonwalk series and contains all the behind-the-scenes news at The Radical Virgo. As of Sept. 7, it’s the only vehicle for regular discounts on services and publications. Request a sample here. Sign up on the top of the sidebar. You’ll be glad you did, especially for the monthly New Moon mini-meditation, discussion of the Moon’s Sabian symbol and other surprises.

eReader Versions: Chiron and Wholeness (Not on Sale)

Poems to Heal the Healer: The 12 Chiron Signs

Expore Chiron through the healing art of poetry. Includes background, intro on Chiron, and a poem for each Chiron sign suitable for framing. Click pic for more details. The art alone is healing! Reg. $5.95, Now - $2.98

Outerplanetary (Extraordinary) People

Astrology 101 Chart Interpretation Primer

Learn the ABCs of astrologese! Click image for more details. Reg.$4.95 - Now $2.48

What is a Radical Virgo?

To learn the characteristics of a Radical Virgo, read Joyce Mason’s article, “The Radical Virgo.” In a nutshell, these Virgos are not the old fussbudget stereotype—no Felix Ungers or Adrian Monks here. Radical Virgos have the potential to change the world through their ability to develop and discover their unique pattern, becoming true human beings—not “human doings.” Radical Virgos give service in a whole new way by contributing to their community and world what they were designed to give. When we each do that, we have made heaven on earth. It’s like having all the cogs in the great wheel of creation turning like they were just oiled!

You don't even have to be a Sun Virgo to have the characteristics of a Radical Virgo, though any planets in the V-sign help. You don’t join this club. You recognize that you already belong.

Radical Virgo Vision

This award-winning blog is a place where all signs--not just Virgos--learn how to express the best of their star map.

The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly--that is what each of us is here for. ~ Oscar Wilde

Who is "The Radical Virgo?"

Joyce Mason has Sun in the last degree of Virgo, three planets in Libra, Taurus Rising and a Capricorn Moon. She's a "PUNC," or a person with a prominence of the outer planets Pluto, Uranus, Neptune--add bridging and healing Chiron. (See her Outerplanetary People series for more on PUNCs.) Joyce is often mistaken for an Aquarius/ Sagittarius blend. Even if you don’t speak astrology, that makes sense on some symbolic level because they both end in “ius.” She believes that I and Us are one in the same—and celebrates the human spirit in which we’re all joined.

First and foremost a writer, Joyce was a consulting astrologer, tarot reader, dreamworker, and flower essence practitioner for 25 years. Her astrological specialties are the sign of Virgo and the centaur planet, Chiron. She writes on these and many other topics. Read her complete bio and astrology articles on her Writer Joyce Mason website.

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires bloggers to disclose any relationship they have between a product manufacturer or service provider, when writing about a product or service.

My guidelines on The Radical Virgo follow:

~ I am never paid to do a review. I never accept money to review a product or service. I invest my own time to review and test products. Occasionally, I will accept a free copy of a book or similar product before or after a review, but the review is not contingent on such an exchange. I review books or products only because they move me and for purposes of sharing "good finds" with my readers.

~ If I create a link to a product or service in a review, sometimes I may get paid a commission if you purchase the product or service. These links are included after the posts are written, and posts are never composed for with the intent to advertise. They’re provided primarily for your convenience, if interested in learning about a book or product mentioned. The commission merely helps offset the expenses of operating a blog.

~ No advertiser will ever influence the content, subjects, or posts made in this blog.

Any exceptions to these policies will be stated at the bottom of any post to which they apply.